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Aphorisms.

A dictionary of ideas
from Art to Zen.









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Art.

The best art creates
a flash of another world
and a celebration of this one.
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The Zen approach:
make yourself beautiful,
then just paint naturally.


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Death.

"Am I the sky or a bird?" - Tom Waits.
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You’re going to die.
But right now, you’re alive.
You’re ALIVE.
Make it count.

(See also: Time)


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Fate.

If there’s one thing that makes life worth living,
it’s that you can make life worth living.
Carpe Diem.


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Freedom.

The world needs more of this,
but it's too often taken by power
or lost to fear.

Be free.


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God.
The case for
Poets and philosophers
The beauty of unspoiled nature
Small children
British comedy
Good friends
Massage and sensuality
Literacy
An active intellect
The incredible variety of life
Evolution
Kite-flying
True love and harmony

    The case against
Rednecks and bible-thumpers
The aimless blade of science
Reluctant abortions
Violent pornography
Misanthropes
Excessive testosterone
Pop culture
Education = Propaganda
The inevitability of death
Environmental destruction
Wife-beating
Loneliness and despair

more


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God.
The case for
Spontaneous laughter
Comfortable silence
Innocence
Hot baths
The orgasm
Utilitarianism
Hacky-sack
Roller coasters
Clean blue water
Peaches
Nuclear physics
Each person's uniqueness
Life in general
    The case against
Uncomfortable silence
Senseless violence
Sadism
Chinese water torture
The black plague
Social darwinism
A kick in the sack
Manic depression
Dirty brown snow
Leeches
Atomic bombs
Man's cosmic insignificance
Life in general
less


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Ideals.

Sometimes we're so set on fixing the world
that we miss all the beauty that surrounds us.

Strive to make things better,
but don't expect them to be perfect.
Improve your personality,
but love yourself as you are.


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Kids.

Five more senses:
wonder, humour, adventure, honour and character.
Children have the first three;
adults can learn two more, or lose all five.


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Kindness.

In your eyes, it makes you beautiful.
In your heart, it makes you whole.
In your life, it returns to you.


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Love.

A force toward unity.

(See also: Romance, Loss)


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Loss.

This probably won't help, but...
empty space, by definition, is not there.
There is nothing missing in your life.


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Money.

Money is a means and not an end.
Enough for necessity, stimulation, and freedom from worry;
the rest is only paper.


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Romance.

Respect, passion, and affection;
mind, body and heart.
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"Your love for each other should exceed your need for each other" - Dalai Lama.
Love offers more than it demands.

(See also: Love, Sex, Kids)


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Sex.

Also helps us make kids.
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We need to rescue sex from the internet porn,
the maxim magazines, the creeps and the sleaze...
and make it what it should be, a mutually enjoyable,
life-affirming, romantic, sensual and exciting thing.
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Men: the biological imperative to spread your seed
is no excuse for acting like an animal.
Have some respect.


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Success.

First know what you want,
then make it happen.
Introspection, then action.
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If you don't risk failure, you'll never succeed.

(See also: Money)


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Thought.

The range of thought,
like the range of experience,
is so beautifully enormous
that one lifetime is never enough.
Maintain a naked mind
and you will always be surprised.
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"Knowing is half the battle" - G.I.Joe.
Acting is the other half.


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Time.

Nothing lasts forever
except for this moment.
Live it well.


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Work.

You trade time, or rather enjoyment of life, for money.
Later on, you trade money for enjoyment of life.

Make the most of this deal
by finding a job you love
and spending only on things that give genuine joy.


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Zen.

State of unity and clarity.
(See also: Art, Nature, Love, Wisdom)